Dianthus.] VI. CAETOPHYLLEAE. 53 



hairy downy or pubescent ; rhaphe crested. Herbs or shrubs with terminal or 

 lateral spicate or racemose inflorescence. 



* P. myrtifolia, L., Sp. PI. 703. A shrub, 4ft.-8ft. high, with slender pu- 

 bescent branchlets. Leaves obovate, slightly mucronate. Eacemes S-i-flowered. 

 Pedicels short. Flowers rosy-purple. Keel falcate. 



Naturalised near Auckland. Cape o{ Good Hope. 



Oedee VI.— CAETOPHYLLEAE. 



Sepals 4 or 5, free or coherent, imbricate in bud. Petals 4—5 or rarely 0, 

 hypogynous or perigynous, imbricate or contorted in bud. Stamens not 

 exceeding 10, inserted with the petals. Styles 2—5, rarely united. Ovary 

 usually 1- rarely 3— 5-celled at the base. Ovules 2 or many, on slender funicles 

 attached to the base or to the central column of the ovary. Capsule many- 

 seeded ; valves as many or twice as many as the styles. Seeds with mealy 

 endosperm ; embryo usually curved, cylindrical. Herbs, rarely woody at the 

 base, with tumid nodes and opposite entire leaves. 



A large order, oommon in temperate and cold regions. Genera, 35. Species, 1,250. Many 

 naturalised species are found in tlie colony. 



Tribe I. SILENEAE. — Calyx 4-5-Iobed. Petals and stamens inserted on the elongated " disk. 

 Styles free from the base. • Stipules 0. 



* Dianthus. Calyxoylindrioal, many-nerved, with 2 or more bracts at the base. Seeds 



peltate, 



1. Gypsophila. Calyx broadly or obscurely 5-nerved. Styles 2. Capsule deejily 



4-valved. 



* Saponaria. Capsule shortly 4-valved. Styles 3. ^ 



* Lychnis. Calyx 10-nerved. Styles 4 or 5. > 



II. ALSINEAE. — Sepals free or united at their base by the small disk. Styles free. 

 Stipules 0. 



* Obrastium. Petals notched. Capsule cylindric. 



2. Stellaria. Petals notched. Capsule globose. 



* Arenaria. Petals entire. Styles 3 or 4. 



* Sagina. Petals entire or 0. Styles 4 or 5. 



3. CoLOBANTHUS. Petals 0. Styles as many as the sepals. 



* Stipules scarious. 



* Spbegula. Styles 5. Capsule 5-valved. Leaves clustered. 



4. Spebgulahia. Styles 3. Capsule 3-valved. Leaves opposite. 



III. POLYCARPEAE. — Sepals free. Petals small or 0. Stamens not exceeding 5. Styles 

 coherent at the base, short. Stipules scarious. 



* POLYOARPON. 



* DIANTHUS, Linn. 



Calyx cylindrical, 5-toothed, with 2 or more imbricate bracteoles at the 



base. Petals 5. Stamens 10. Disk elongated. Ovary 1-celled ; styles 2. Capsule 

 4-valved at the apex. Seeds imbricate on the columnar placenta ; embryo straight. 

 More or less tufted herbs with fascicled flowers. 



Stems few or solitary. Leaves narrow. . .. .. .. .. .. * D. Armeria. 



Stems numerous. Leaves broad . . . . . . : . . . . * D. barbatus. 



* D. Armeria, L., Sp. PI. 410. Erect, 1ft. high, strict. Leaves linear, the 

 lowest obtuse, upper acute. Fascicles dichotomous. Sracts lanceolate, subulate, 

 as long as the calyx. Petals small, toothed, red. 



NORTH and SOUTH Islands : naturalised in dry places, but local. Annual. JDeptford pink. 

 Dec, Jan. Europe, Western Asia. 



